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<h1> Basic Needs</h1>
<p>
Jack drives into a dried-out river. A bit away from the other side is a
group of houses that – while they have certainly seen better days
– aren't ruins. The truck struggles to get traction in the
sand on the other side of the river bed. After getting stuck, he backs up
and turns into the river. He accelerates, the engine roars, then he
steers it back onto the side of the river. The truck gets stuck again.
This process repeats twice more before they finally make it out and back
onto the tall grass that covers the area. Jack drives over to the remains
of a road that lead to the settlement.
</p>
<p>
He parks in front of an old store.<br />
<span class="speech">This is it, I guess.</span><br />
They get out and start walking towards the door. A small dog runs up to
greet them, jumping around, running in circles, and wagging its tail.
It picks up a stick and drops it in front of Annie. She crouches down,
pets the dog, and picks up the stick. The dog bites into the other end
and pulls on it.<br />
<span class="comment">note: need reason for Jack to go ahead, also better
wording</span><br />
<span class="speech">I'll be inside.</span><br />
Jack goes into the store.
</p>
<p>
<span class="comment">note: need to state that the man appears to be in
his 60s</span><br />
After playing with the dog for a bit, Annie follows. The man behind the
counter is talking to Jack:<br />
<span class="speech">I mean in the long run. We have plenty of food right
now but, since the <river name> has changed course, we don't
even have enough water to grow crops for ourselves. The cisterns and
wells simply don't cut it.</span><br />
<span class="speech">So, basically, you're saying you need
water.</span><br />
The man interrupts the conversation and looks at Annie:<br />
<span class="speech">Good afternoon, what can I do for you?</span><br />
<span class="speech">I'm with him.</span><br />
<span class="speech">I see.</span><br />
He turns back to Jack:<br />
<span class="speech">Listen, we don't just need a little bit of
water. The amount of water we need can't simply be carried here or
we'd do it ourselves. And we need it regularly and consistently.
When the <river> still flowed here, water userd to flow into our
irrigation system upstream and got distributed to all the fields and
greenhouses from there.</span><br />
<span class="speech">I know you need an industrial quantity of water.
We can get you an industrial quantity of water. Will you give us food if
we supply you?</span><br />
<span class="comment">"Who is *we*?"</span><br />
He musters Jack for a moment.<br />
<span class="speech">And how do you wanna get it here?</span><br />
<span class="speech">By train - assuming the railroad south of here is
in a serviceable state.</span> Seeing the man's confusion, Jack
adds: <span class="speech">Let that be my problem to solve. Will you
trade water for food?</span><br />
<span class="speech">I'm gonna have to discuss that with the others.
Wait outside.</span>
</p>
<p>
After playing with the dog some more, they get approached by a group of
people, amongst them the man from the store. They shake hands. Jack
repeats his idea to supply water by train in exchange for crops.<br />
<span class="speech">What's this train you're talking
of?</span>, one of them asks.<br />
<span class="speech">A large vehicle from the old world. It drives on
tracks like the ones that should be south of here.</span><br />
<span class="speech">So that's what these rails were used for...
But that's still pretty far from here, how do you wanna transport
the water here?</span><br />
<span class="speech">That irrigation system of yours... Can we take a
look at it?</span><br />
<span class="speech">I see where you're trying to go with this.
It's still not particularly close to the rails.</span>
</p>
<p>
After a bit of additional back and forth, they agree on a plan. The man
who did most of the talking asks a girl:<br />
<span class="speech">Mary, can you go, show them around?</span><br />
<span class="speech">Sure, follow me.</span>
<span class="comment">It's a bit of a walk...</span><br />
<span class="speech">Wait</span>, Jack stops her,
<span class="speech">We're here with a truck.</span><br />
<span class="speech">So that's <i>your</i> car? Cool! I've only
ever seen one working car in the city. So we're gonna drive
there?</span><br />
<span class="speech">If you show us the way.</span><br />
<span class="speech">Let's go!</span>
</p>
<p class="comment">
Not sure of this should be the end of a chapter or if I should continue
here. The way this has turned out, it would also be nice if they ended up
delivering construction machines (excavators, etc.) to the village so they
don't need to rely on water shipments past the day when the
protagonists leave for Nova Metropolis.
</p>
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